Collapsible trays



June 5, 1956 A. BERKE COLLAPSIBLE TRAYS INVENTOR aqaron .Berke BATTORNEY Filed Aug. 16, 1952 FIG.4

United States Patent COLLAPSIBLE TRAYS,

Aaron Berke, New York, N. Y.

Application August 16, 1952, Serial No. 304,794 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-41) yn en io is n. mprove tray. part u a ly a tra of sheet material adaptedtQ serve, as a storage receptacle.

n mp n j t is to pr vide a tray of sheet mat rial which has a foldablebottom and sides hinged thereto, and retaining members movably attachedto the bottom and adapted to move automatically to operative position whn t e bo is manip te to set it up an main ain all parts in their finalpositions.

Other j c an adv nta es a e cle ly des d herein, and a preferredembodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.But the disclosure is explanatory only and I may vary the constructionshown in minor respects without omis on or material alteration of any ofthe essential characteristics of the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of sheet material of which the tray is made.

Figure 2 is a top view of the tray partly set up,

Figure 3 is a top view of the tray l fully set up,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section along line 4*; on Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a similar longitudinal section along line 5-5 on Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 in Figure 3; and

Figure 7 shows a detail of the cover for the tray.

T bl nk o sheet ma ria of which th y s mad has a centra p i 1, wi h thOutlin of a r ular 0. gon; and a portion at each end; each terminalportipn containing three rectangular sections 2, lying side by side andmarked 011 from one another by score lines 3. Along the sections 2 ineach terminal portion adjacent the central part runs a score line 4,these lines 4 coinciding with opposite edges 5 of the central section 1.The terminal portions also comprise sections 6, flanking each group ofsections 2 and marked olf therefrom by other score lines 3, parallel tothe first-named score lines 3. The sections 2 are each as wide as thelength of an edge 5 of the portion 1, but the sections 6 are only halfas wide as the sections 2, and two half sections 6 each have a flap 7,hinge-connected along another score line 3, parallel to the other lines3. The inner ends of the middle section 2 in each group or row thereofcoincides with one of the aforesaid opposite edges 5 of the centralsection 1.

At opposite sides of the central section 1 between the portions 2 areretaining members 8, each of which is hinged along a score line to oneof another pair of opposite edges 9 of the octagonal portion 1. Fullyacross both members 8 and the central portion 1, which serves as thebottom of the box when completed, runs a centrally located score lineparallel to the lines 4. The retaining members 8 are wider than thelength of either edge 9; and at the ends of these edges 9 the sectionsor members 8 are out free from the blank. At each side of the members 8is a flap 11, with rounded outer corners, these flaps being joined tothe members 8 along score lines 12, parallel to the lines 4 and 10,beginning at the ice opposite ends of the edges 9, running to the outeredges of the members 8.

The members 8 also bear converging score lines 13,

which begin at the opposite ends of the edges 9 and run to the scorelines 10." These lines 13, together with the lines 9 and 10 mark ofltriangular parts 14.

The corners of the blank between each of the remain.- ing edges 16, thatjoin the edges 9 to the edges 5, are filled with flaps or webs 15hinge-connected along the score l n 4 to the a j c n ec ns 2 nd al -s ci ns, 6 of one terminal portion, and to the sections 2, parts 6 and fl pof h other rmina port on, nd s ored a ong their junctions with theadjacent edges 16. The fla s 15 ha e pe f an arr w, cut i ha le gthwi ewith the iateral corner of the barb or point coinciding h the ja en edge16 0f he c a n 1- h angle between each edge 16 and the adjacent scoreline d is approximated bisected in each flap or web 15 by a score line17, running towards the inner round corner of the adjacent member 8. V

The score lines 3 between the half sections 6 and adjacent sections 2vextend across the flaps 15, and these flaps except the area between thelines. 17 and sides 16 of the octagon are covered with dried glue 18.Glue is also spread on one face of the flaps 7. The glue is attached tothe under face of the flaps? as the blank appears on Figure l, and onthe upper faces of the Webs 15. The octagon 1 also has openings 19 atseparated points on the line 19 and through these openings is passed alength of cord 21). i

Along one of the score lines 4 at one end of the blank the Webs 15terminate adjacent the middle of the ends of the sections 6. Along theother score line the webs 15 are longer and extend beyond the lines 3between the sections 6 and flaps 7, to the long outer free edges of theflaps '7, and are crossed by the score lines 3 between the flaps 7 andadjacent sections 6. The parts which make two of the webs longer areindicated at 21.

The tray is given its final shape by bending the two halves of thesection 1 or bottom upward about the score or hinge line 10. First theflaps 8 are turned up, but the portions 14 between the lines 13 and theedges 9 of the bottom are not. These portions then go with the bottomwhen the latter is bent and each portion 14 remains in the plane of theadjacent half of the bottom. The fiaps 8 are bent up along the scorelines 13 and the halves of each flap are folded towards each other aboutthe ends of the line 10. Also the webs 15 remain in the planes of thehalves of the bottom 1. See Figures 2 and 4.

With the bottom folded, one half against the other half, and the flaps 8doubled and folded against the halves of the bottom, the blank isfurther bent along both score lines 4 at opposite edges of the bottom tobring up the terminal portions containing the sections 2 and 6 and flaps7. The glued portions of the Webs 15 are caused to adhere to the innerfaces of the sections 6 and adjacent sections 2, and the flaps 7 of oneportion of the blank to adhere to the inner faces of the sections 6 ofthe opposite end portion. T he parts 21 at the ends of the two longerwebs are bent with the flaps 7 and adhere to the inner faces of theseflaps, so that the flaps 7 are between the end parts 21 of the two longwebs and the sections 6 to which the flaps 7 are glued. There are thusthree layers of material at the bottom of each flap 7 and theextremities of the two shorter webs 15 then abut the edges or" the flaps7. The webs are all then in adhesive engagement with the inner faces ofthe sides of the tray over the entire extent of the webs except theportions between the score lines 17 and the edges 16 of the bottom, andthese portions stand up between the members 3 and the adjacent sec tions2.

The tray is now flattened and the members 8 are innted une .956

clined upward and towards each other with respect to the line 10. Theirupper corners may be bevelled to prevent them projecting beyond the freeedges of the blank, and for this purpose notches 22 are cut in the outerends of the members 8 at the ends of the line 10. The sections 2 and 6make the lateral faces of the tray. T set up the tray the bottom ispushed down fiat, thus distending the sides of the box, and by the samemove lifting the members 8 to upright positions. The lines 10 along themiddle of the members 8 then coincide with the lines 3 along the inneredges of the flaps 7 and the lines 12 with the lines 3 between thesections 6 and adjacent sections 2. The parts 14 become upright also,and lie each in the plane of the portion of the member 8 above itbetween the lines 10 and 12. The lower edges of the portions 11 of themembets 8 engage the bottom 1 and tend to keep the bottom pressed outand the sides expanded all about the bottom. The tray can also be set upby pressure exerted to move the lines 3 along the flaps 7 towards eachother, forcing the sides to spread and the halves of the bottom to godownward.

The tray can therefore be produced with a substantially rectangularblank and there is virtually no waste. It can be set up quickly, andcollapsed at any time merely forcing the bottom upward and the sidesinward.

The cover for the tray will also have eight sides and a part of thecover is indicated in Figure 7 by the numeral 23. This cover has foursides 24 with inturned flaps 25 and four sides 26 with recesses 27; thesides 24 and 26 being in upturned positions as the rim or lid. The sides26 have recesses 27 and tabs 28 at each end which are hinged along scorelines 29. These tabs 28 are between the sides 24 and the flaps 25; andthe flaps are held in folded position by a bit of glue 30 on the insidefaces of the flaps 2S and sides 24. The tabs 28 are too short to reachin as far as the glue 30. These tabs taper towards their outer ends andwhen the sides of the cover are in upright position the lower edges ofthe tabs extend angularly with respect to the sides 24. The sides 24 and26 can be folded down against the top of the cover and then the tabs 28are in under the flaps 25, and so are parts of the sides 26 up totheouter corners of the recesses 27. These corners are rounded to permitthe collapse of the sides in this way. To set up the cover, the sides 24and 26 are pulled into upright position as indicated in Figure 7 andthen only the tabs 28 are under the flaps 25.

The string or tape 20 which passes through the openings 19 as indicatedin Figure 5 can be used to secure the cover on the tray and the pressureon the string is exerted against the sections 6.

Having described my invention, what I believe to be new is:

1. A tray having a polygonal bottom, upstanding por tionshinge-connected adjacent their midpoints to two opposite edges of thebottom, said portions being longer than said edges and united end to endand comprising sections forming the sides of the box, retaining membersadjacent said ends hinge-connected adjacent their midpoints to otheropposite edges of said bottom, said members being longer than saidlast-named edges, and folded webs flanking said members andhinge-connected to said portions and still other edges of the bottombetween said members and adjacent sides, said members being Within thetray adjacent the united ends of said sections said bottom having acentral score line on its inner face extending between said members, andsaid members each having a central score line registering with saidscore line in the bottom, said members also having diagonal score linesjoining the central score lines in said members to the extremities ofsaid other opposite edges of the bottom.

2. A hat box having a bottom with the shape of a regular polygon,upstanding portions hinge-connected adjacent their midpoints to twoopposite edges of the bottom, said portions being longer than said edgesand united end to end and comprising sections forming the sides of thebox, retaining members adjacent said ends hinge-connected each adjacenttheir midpoints to one of wo other opposite edges of the bottom, saidmembers being longer than said last-named edges, said bottom having acentral score line on its inner face extending between said members, andsaid members each having a central score line extending from the upperedges of said members to the ends of and in line with the score line inthe bottom, said members being within the tray adjacent the united endsof said sections, said members also having diagonal score lines joiningthe central score lines in said members to the extremities of the saidother opposite edges of the bottom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,623,715 Berkowitz Apr. 5, 1927 2,238,818 Mulford et a1. Apr. 15, 19412,331,582 Trost Oct. 12, 1943 2,379,665 Stone July 3, 1945

